Drinking game
by Fluffymausi-chan
Summary: Eizen and Rokurou are about to have their drinking contest. With some other participants. Alcohol, bets and daemons. Might be a night to remember. Or not. Depends on the level of alcohol. [Velvet x Rokurou] [Eleanor x Eizen] [Coverart belongs to me]


_I saw that there are only a few stories in the Tales of Berseria-fandom, so I decided to write something myself. Contrary to Tales of Zestiria, I had two favourite couples throughout Berseria. This idea hunted me and even though I am sick with the flu I had to write this down. The muse had no intention on letting me sleep otherwise -.-_

 _Please let me know if you find any mistakes, I checked the document three times but my English is not the best and I might have missed a few._

 _Also: **SPOILERS!** I would recommend you to read this story after finishing the game! Just my opinion ;)_

 _ **Disclaimer:** The characters don't belong to me but to Namco and I  don't earn money with this fanfiction!_

 _I hope you like it! Have fun :)_

 _\- your FMC_

* * *

 **Drinking game**

In a corner, there were some musicians playing to their hearts content. The mood was light and the guests of the tavern were having a good time. All smiles and laughs. Might be because of the booze and the music. That combination was always a guarantee for a good time.

The group had settled for a peaceful evening. No one wanted to think about all their respective revenges or the world-saving stuff, especially since they weren't especially heroes. Just misfits trying to fix something that others had messed up. And those others were the real heroes, even close to gods, if you heard the townspeople talk. What a strange world. Velvet chuckled somberly.

"You know, smiling might not be your thing. Gives me the creeps." Magilou sneered next to her. The witch sat next to the staircases that led to the rooms upstairs and tortured a crying Bienfu in her arms. Velvet had finished checking up on Phi and had wanted to see what the others were doing. She gave her a threatening look but before she could come up with a cold remark, a commotion in front of them got their attention.

"You think now's the time for this? Are you for real?"

Eleanor looked close to causing a scene. No, far too late for that. The guests in the tavern already eyed them with suspicion. So much for laying low. And here they were just trying to catch their breath. Eleanor really didn't know anything about being discreet. Velvet heaved a sigh and made her way to the trio to remind the fuming woman about their mission, when she caught sight what had riled her up in the first place. Rokurou and Eizen sat opposite from each other and had a huge amount of bottles in front of them. Eizen put his coin in his pocket with a grim smile and stretched his fingers, while Rokurou rolled his shoulder and grinned like a madman. Both were getting ready.

"Seems like they intend to get that drinking contest over with. That screams for bets and stakes!" Magilou cheered and run past her, with a struggling Bienfu in her arms, to join the two men and Eleanor who was still to get them to put their game on hold. Other men and women had gathered around the trio. Some of them were pirates of the Van Eltia, while others were just looking for something amusing to pass the time. The barmaids were still serving booze left and right, but had their eyes on the two men in the middle of the commotion. The bartender grinned from ear to ear. Velvet could hear the gald singing in his ears. She snorted while making her way to the small table nearly giving in under the weight of the heavy bottles on top of it. They intended to drink all of this?

"Oh Velvet, care to join us?" Rokurou opened a bottle of sake with his teeth and grinned like a … well daemon. She snorted again. The challenging look would not work on her, even though a little part of her wanted to relax and have some fun occasionally. But as soon as she thought it, she felt her bad conscience biting her neck. How could she be having fun while Arthur was still breathing? The murderer of her little family… She shook her head.

"I think one of us has to keep a clear mind. Not that I care much what will happen in your drunken state of mind anyway." Her voice was even. She didn't want to show how tired she really was.

"Typical Velvet." Magilou sung and gave her a cheeky grin, which Velvet countered with a blank stare. The witch could think whatever she wanted. This was not their game. Rokurou and Eizen could do whatever they wanted. Eleanor nodded next to Velvet and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Velvet is right. This is utter nonsense! What if we are being attacked while you two are out cold because of your childish game? Why should we take that risk? Are you forgetting our mission?" Her voice had risen a few octaves. Velvet raised an eyebrow. That wasn't even close to what she had meant but leave it to Eleanor to read more into her words. It seemed she wasn't the only one on the edge. She was too tired to correct the exorcist.

"It doesn't hurt to loosen up sometimes, Madame Exorcist. Being under the Reapers curse, I take every break I can get. With Laphicet resting there isn't much we can do anyway. And the Abbey hasn't made a move yet. They are busy coming up with new ways to torture us. So I will rest while I still have the chance. If you want to damp the mood do us a favor and do it somewhere else."

There was a hidden threat in his words. The music had stopped and every pair of eyes had turned to them. Velvet could see Eizens face was tenser than usual. Jaw set and everything. Probably had something to do with the death of Captain Aifread. She could relate to it. The heavy burden of guilt was not something to ignore or forget.

Eizen gave Eleanor a threatening look.

"Or do you dare to join the competition?"

His hand rested on a closed bottle of whiskey from Hellawes. Some real good stuff if you could believe the townsfolk. Eleanor stuttered to come up with a comeback but failed miserably. The tension rose and neither wanted to back down. The exorcist was embarrassed and only a few steps away from vocalizing her rage. Heavy silence had fallen upon the tavern. They were all on the edge. Velvets gaze wandered across the room until she stopped on Rokurou. He shrugged his shoulders while giving her a pleading look. Velvet heaved a sigh. Why did they always drag her into their messes?

Pulling a wooden stool back with as much noise as she could, she sat across from Rokurou who gave her a big grin in return. Why could he read her so well? The tension faded away.

Velvet felt tired. Some booze would not hurt.

"Velvet joins? Now this might get interesting after all." Magilou grinned from aside and Benwick joined her with some cash to place on the first mate whom was still eyeing Eleanor with a calculating look.

"So?"

All eyes turned to the young woman who was fidgeting under the pressure until she threw her hands in the air.

"Fine! But just this once! Now move over!"

The tension was gone and made room for laughter and roaring cheers. The musicians resumed their task. Loud music filled the tavern.

* * *

The bets and stakes had risen rapidly. Joyful laughter nearly drowned the music. The bartender and his maids were working overtime, but they knew that nights like this would fill their register.

The rules of the game were nonexistent. The type of booze didn't matter. Quantity was what counted.

Magilou was cheering for Rokurou, having placed her bets on the rounin without knowing if he had the potential. Benwick did the same for the first mate of the Van Elsia. Cheers for every empty bottle resounded in the small local. Some people had put their bets on Velvet and Eleanor, but most of them were rooting for one of the two men even though Velvet was slugging her drink down like an old sailor. Eleanor, contrary what others had expected, had proven herself a good drinker. The bar filled with curious people who wanted to see what the commotion was about. So much for laying low.

"Come on Rokurou! Don't be a wimp!"

"Eizen show them what a true sailor is made of!"

"Lady Exorcist you can do it! Show them what we exorcist can do!" Even some exorcists had found their way into the tavern and were now cheering for their fellow comrade without even questioning what Eleanor was doing with those outcasts in the first place or arresting her for her betrayal. The joyful mood had a tight hold on everyone. Might be because of the booze and the music. A strong combination indeed.

Velvet had some fans of her own. Mostly men from the Bloodwing guild and other men astonished by her ability to drink. She didn't taste the liquor but felt the burning sensation in her whole body. It felt nice and it numbed the pain somewhat. Looking at her comrades, she could see that they felt the same. Eizen was grinning, slowly forgetting about the dulling pain and crashing an empty bottle of whiskey with his bare hands. The crowd roared. His pile of bottles behind him was growing fast and Rokurou was not too far behind him. The rounin was smirking devilishly at her. It pulled her in. She tried and failed giving him a blank stare. She couldn't help a small tugging at her lips. Damn alcohol. Eleanor was slowing down which made her fans shout their support even louder. Velvet felt an approaching head ache. With a few gulps of some rum from Logres, her head felt feather like. No problems, no hard feelings, no guilt, no revenge. She threw the empty bottle behind her, no longer caring if she was winning or not. She just wanted to numb the pain for a second longer. It felt good.

* * *

Time flew past them. The uproar was slowly dying down. People called it a night. The group had lost track of time. Even Magilou and Benwick, who had only drunk a little, paid no attention to time anymore, too invested in the game with a few others who had placed bets of their own. The four contestants were still fighting more or less. Eleanor was giving up. She had thought drinking slowly would give her an advantage but now her head was almost spinning. Velvet slugged her drinks down like water, still going at the same speed. The few guests were already questioning her humanity, but she didn't care. The strangest thing was that Eizen was also about to give up. His cheeks were tinted because of the alcohol and he had trouble making out the outlines of the bottles and glasses in front of him. To his defense, the light in the small tavern was dim and the music was also close to being nothing more than a lullaby. Perhaps it was a way of reminding the guests that they had to go home or to their respective rooms.

Eizen felt the lightheadness and the soft tingling in his fingertips. Time to call it a day. He felt bad for Benwick but there was no winning against the Reapers Curse. He knew he was bound to lose this challenge. Looking at Rokurou and Velvet, he saw that they no longer paid any heed to him or their other contestant. Speaking of her, Eleanor was close to passing out. Heaving a sigh, the first mate got up from his seat. He slowly made his way around the table, paying attention not to fall over a drunken man or a stray bottle at his feet. It was a difficult task. The floor of the tavern looked like a minefield. Tomorrow would be a nasty day for their wallet. Rounding the table without stumbling to his death, he tugged at Eleanors sleeve.

"Come on. Time to hit the hay." His voice sounded hoarse. She tried to say something and convince him that she was still in the game and not backing out, but her mind was blank when she met his gaze. Swaying on her stool, she tried to get up on her own, but failed miserably. Her sense of balance was gone and she felt like they were back on the Van Elsia. Gripping on the Reaper for dear life, she felt her cheeks burn in embarrassment. Eizen sighed before he threw the young woman over his shoulder. Sure, he could have taken her in his arms, but with the dim light and the many bottles on the floor, he wanted to make sure they made it to their rooms without breaking their necks. Eleanor was too drunk to register what was happening. She gripped his jacket and her head felt like she was flying. How much did she drink?

Eizen dully remembered Magilou and Benwick but those two were busy fighting over a bottle of honey wine. A rare delicacy. No help from this side then. Some men of his crew, that were still conscious, gave him a nod of approval and a big smile. They probably had the wrong idea what he intended on doing with the young woman but he couldn't care less.

A barmaid gave Eizen two bottles of water with a knowing smile. Hangover could be a bitch that much he knew. He nodded his head in thanks and was about to head upstairs when Rokurou called him.

"Eizen? You out?" He asked, the rum dripping down his chin. The blond only nodded which made the rounin cheer in triumph, only to be reminded that there was still Velvet to beat.

"Velvet are you still in the game?" He asked with a mischievous grin on his face. She could have sworn his red eye gleamed at her. "I would not think any less of you if you would just give up."

"Giving up is never an option. Are you ready to lose to a girl?" Her eyes glowed challenging. His smirk widened and he laughed wholeheartedly. The game was on.

"I am not backing down from a challenge, Milady."

Eizen grinned tiredly before making his way upstairs, all the while making sure Eleanor was still with him. The young woman hummed something to herself that he didn't know. Climbing the staircase was as much of a challenge as the drinking game but he managed it with gritted teeth. His body was swaying as if he was on a ship in the middle of a hurricane. Nothing he couldn't handle though. He reached the room Eleanor shared with Laphicet and would have put her in her bed but when she started singing a shanty she had heard the other day on the ship, he decided against it.

"Eleanor. You are going to sleep in Velvets room. That okay?"

Velvet would surely understand his way of thinking. Perhaps she didn't even need her bed.

Eleanor giggled. He took it as a yes while making his way to the other room at the end of the corridor. His body was still swaying and he felt tired but even so, he looked out for Eleanor. The young woman was humming the shanty and he could hear her smile. When he finally reached the room, he carefully laid her down on the hard bed. The small candle on the nightstand was nothing more than a warm glow. Velvet must have forgotten to blow it out before joining their game a few hours prior. Eleanor was still humming and she looked relaxed. He shook his head. He would have never imagined her being able to hold her liquor so well. She would have been a good sailor in another life. The exorcist opened her eyes which were hazy. Her mood changed as fast as the weather on the open sea.

"I am sorry, Eizen.."

Her voice was throaty from the laughter and the alcohol. He raised an eyebrow. What was she talking about? Taking a seat on the bed, he looked down at her. A pained expression appeared on her face when she continued.

"I am sorry for always correcting you and your wisdom. I am sorry for questioning you and I am sorry for everything the Abbey has done to you and your crew. To Aifread. I am really sorry."

Tears spilled from her green eyes and run down her cheeks to drip on the pillow under her head. To say he was surprised was an understatement. He run a hand over his face and through his blond hair. He wasn't good at handling crying women. Why was she beating herself up over this? It wasn't her fault. It was the Abbey and not her. Eleanor had changed and proven herself a worthy companion on their travel. He might have been suspicious in the beginning and a little annoyed of her always trumping him with her wisdom but somehow it felt nice having another one interested in history. The always cheerful and righteous exorcist before him was trying to shoulder the burden all by herself. A burden that wasn't meant for her. Eizen shook his head with a small smile. Alcohol surely made him softer. He didn't say anything but pulled her hair gently out of her pigtails. It looked soft in his hands. Fragile. His eyes turned to her face again. The dim light made her look a lot older than she really was. A woman. Something tugged at his heartstrings. An old feeling. An old warmth.

She held his gaze, still crying but not looking away. She was strong, that he knew. Stronger than him in some ways. She was able to change. She had the strength to change herself and her life. Something he wasn't able to do. The music was barely audible in the distance and he could only hear some voices in the room below their feet. Magilou and Rokurou. Of course.

He broke the silence between them.

"I am used to the Reapers curse by now. There is no need for you apologizing for something you didn't have any influence on." He murmured before breaking the eye contact. He felt tired. Too tired.

Before he could bid her good night, she leaned upwards and pressed her lips to his forehead. It was only a small peck, but he felt his head spinning. The alcohol made his thoughts hazier with every passing second. But he could still make out her bright smile.

"A good luck charm." She whispered.

He was at a loss for words. A smile tugged at his lips. A warm one. He had to leave.

"Thank you, Eleanor." He murmured before blowing the candle out and leaving the room. She watched him disappear into the darkness.

* * *

Rokurou had just ended his tale about how Shigure had beaten him for the nineteenth time, when she interrupted him.

"One of us wants to revenge her dead brother while the other wants to kill his brother. Ain't that crazy?" She swirled the dark liquor in her glass. There was no ice left. Her eyes were fixated on her drink and so she didn't see how her words were affecting him. But his voice gave his emotions away. She guessed it was a side effect of the alcohol. It made people more honest. She didn't know if that was a good thing or not.

He shrugged his shoulders before taking another swig out of a dark bottle.

"How's that crazy? Everyone has his or her own story."

A humorless laughter escaped her lips. She was falling back into her somber self. The darkness was grabbing her ankles, trying to pull her back. She braced herself against it.

"You are not saying how awful I am? Not asking me to stop? Not asking me if I am alright?"

The mocking tone had a sad note. She had wanted to suppress it but failed. He chuckled.

"I am a daemon myself, so there is no way I am going to lecture you. And I know you are alright. I simply know." She raised her head and her eyes widened. His words were genuine and so were his eyes. He knew she was strong. Somehow, he believed more in her than she did herself. A lopsided grin appeared on her face. What a crazy bunch of fools they were. She took another long gulp. Dulled the emotions. Dulled the hot burning in her chest when their eyes locked.

Four bottles later and the bartender had enough.

"It's a tie. Get up! I have to close the bar for tonight." The bearlike man woke the other men up, while making his way around the empty bottles and puddles of booze. Shards littered the floor. Rokurou slammed his last bottle down on the desk with a smirk. Drops of booze flew in her face and her hair. She didn't care. Velvet could see that he was losing focus. She was not feeling any better. The bartender was right. The air around them was heavy with alcohol and sweat. Magilou, Benwick and the pirates had left soon after Eizen had quit the game. Where was Eleanor? Ah, she remembered Eizen had taken her upstairs.

"Come on, daemon. We will continue this another day." She got on her feet but the whole floor began to spin around her. Shaking her head to clear her mind she tried to focus on her companion who had less trouble getting on his feet.

"You are just afraid of losing to me, ain't that right?" He smirked but she ignored his remark. A little part of her wanted to proof him that she could win, even wanted to continue their drinking game upstairs but another tiny voice called her. It was reason. They had to sleep. Tomorrow was just around the corner and they couldn't be hangover while saving the world, now could they?

She grabbed a glass of water from another table to splash her face with it. Wiping her face with her bandaged hand, she felt slightly better. Making her way towards the stairs, she could hear the rounin following her.

"Good night and thank you for the awesome booze, old man!" Rokurou was so close; she could feel his warmth on her back. The old man grunted something in response but she didn't pay it any mind. The swordsman behind her was still chuckling. Because of the alcohol?

"Eizen has taken Eleanor to bed?"

She could hear the dirty innuendo in his words. She had thought the same only moments prior.

"Are you sad that you aren't in Eizens place?" She wasn't curious. Or was she?

She threw a look over her shoulder and came face to face with the dark haired daemon. His grin was wicked and full of hidden dangers. She liked it.

"Nah, I am good where I am." He winked at her, which she answered with a roll of her eyes. They climbed the stairs and when she finally found her door, she was surprised to see Eleanor in her bed. Eizen was nowhere to be seen, but she guessed they hadn't wanted disturb Laphicet. Nice thinking. Closing the door softly, she looked at Rokurou, who was still standing in front of his door. Waiting. There was no light in the dark hallway. No moonshine fell through the small window at the end of the corridor. It was pitch black but she could see him just fine. She never had a problem seeing in the dark, not after those years in Titania. His right eye glowed in the darkness.

"Eleanor occupies my bed." She stated tiredly, leaning against the door. Rokurou snickered while making his way towards her. "What about Laphicets room?" He tried to calm his laughter but his eyes were roaring with mischievousness. She snorted.

"Not such a good idea. I might be scaring the kid with my nightmares again.." Normally she wouldn't have told him about her dreams. Damn alcohol. She avoided his eyes for a second before continuing. "And I stink of booze and sweat. Not a pleasant combination." He was now standing in front of her, examining her face with a thoughtful gaze, before leaning down slowly to smell her neck. She froze. His hair tickled her bare skin.

"That might just be me, but I think you smell just fine." He murmured against her neck before pulling back with a cheeky grin. His breath fanned over her face. It smelled of heavy alcohol. He really was a fierce drinking opponent. She could feel her skin tingle again and her belly was raging. A hunger was making itself noticeable. He put an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. The other arm was leaning against the wall, steading himself. Perhaps he felt as lightheaded as she did. She appreciated the warmth of his body. It pushed the darkness away. She held his gaze and shivered when she saw the same hunger in his eyes. Biting her lip, she tried to call reason for help, but the alcohol had drowned the voice out. She was alone with her feelings.

Her hand gripped his kimono and she could see she had the same effect on him. A shiver rolled over his body when her bandaged hand traced the lines of his tattoo on his face. He chuckled darkly and the warm feeling in her belly increased tenfold.

"I don't mind your company for a while longer, Velvet." His throaty voice made her head spin. It was an invitation. He was honest. No hidden meanings. Just a promise. An oath. They both knew that it was all a pretense but they didn't care.

A smirk pulled at her lips.

"Me neither."

She whispered hoarsely. In an instant, his lips found hers in a scorching kiss. The pent up tension and their closeness exploded in a hot cocktail of emotions. Velvet gripped his shirt for dear life and he backed her up against the closed door. They were not thinking anymore. They were no longer the Lord of Calamity and the sword-wielding daemon. They were Velvet and Rokurou. No revenge, no payback and no oath.

He pulled her to his room, not breaking their kiss. Stumbling with their lightheaded minds, she let him pull her, let him guide her without doubting this whole thing a second. He was in charge and she let herself go with the flow. When they finally reached his door, she breathed his name against his lips.

"Rokurou."

Nothing more.

He grinned like a madman. His red eye glowed with such intensity that she had trouble looking away.

"Velvet."

Nothing more. It was nothing more than a breathless whisper. She smiled and crashed her lips on his while they stumbled into his room. The door behind them fell shut.

* * *

 _I really love Tales of Berseria. An awesome game and even better than Tales of Zestiria in my opinion. The characters were deep and my shipping-heart was falling for those two couples in a matter of seconds. Yeah, yeah I know. How could I come up with something steamy as this! Honestly? I don't have any clue, it just fit. ;) But anyway, I hope you liked it. Perhaps I will write another oneshot. Tell me what you think and if you found a mistake, tell me right away. Thank you._

 _Until then. Magikazam!_

 _\- your FMC_


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